Tag: KarenGillan

The Life Of Chuck

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Based on the 2020 novella by Stephen King and directed by Mike Flanagan comes a life affirming story about a man called Charles “Chuck” Krantz (Tom Hiddleston, Jacob Tremblay and Benjamin Pajak). Told in backwards chronological order, we get to know Chuck through all the important moments of his life.

King and Flanagan are usually known for their various horror projects. People don’t think that they are behind other, more contemporary stories too. This was one that I went into mostly blind and I’m glad that I did. I knew that this was going to be an emotional roller coaster and in order to completely absorb it, I needed to be completely open minded.

Deciding to tell the story in reverse order was a bold choice. It won’t work for everyone and it certainly threw me off at first. As a result, the audience may think they’re watching a different film from what it actually ends up being. The pieces of the puzzle only really come together in the final act when Chuck is a child that we get all the answers. The little nuggets that help tie it together are really smart too.

The cast are absolute standouts, delivering solid performances. While Hiddleston may be the titular Chuck and features on the film’s poster, he isn’t actually featured that much. Still, his scene and the dance sequence that occurs during it is probably one of the best in all of cinematic history. Karen Gillan and Chiwetel Ejiofor are a divorced couple who spend the last day on Earth together. Mia Sara and Mark Hamill are brilliant as Chuck’s grandparents Sarah and Albie. Matthew Lillard, Rahul Kohli, Violet McGraw, Kate Siegel and Samantha Sloyan all had small but important roles in the story of Chuck’s life. It was nice to see some familiar faces from Flanagan’s previous works.

Overall, The Life of Chuck is a peculiar film that packs quite the emotional punch. The storytelling was well done and I love how it drove home the importance of appreciating the smaller moments in life because they are what truly matters. Just because the film focused on Chuck doesn’t mean he’s any more special than anybody else. He contains multitudes like we all do and that was quite something to take away.

Rating: ♥️♥️♥️♥️

Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3

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Our favorite underdog heroes are back in their final adventure as the Guardians of the Galaxy. Picking up where we left off, Peter Quill (Chris Pratt) is still reeling from the loss of Gamora (Zoe Saldana), but not for long. When the life of one of their own is threatened, Quill assembles the usual suspects in Drax (Dave Bautista), Groot (Vin Diesel), Rocket (Bradley Cooper), Nebula (Karen Gillan) and Mantis (Pom Klementieff) for one last time.

Wow! What a send off. From the very beginning, this film felt like a finale of sorts. Everything was put on the line and the trials and tribulations that were faced by the characters felt more hardcode than ever before. It didn’t let up for one second with some very cool special effects moments jumping from planet to planet and a few very cool and well done action sequences.

I think where it excelled the most was in its nostalgia factor. Not only were there several throwbacks to the first couple installments, but I loved how the focus was mainly on Rocket this time around. He’s always been one of my favorites of the bunch and learning about his origin story was so rewarding. I felt for him, but it was great seeing how he became the raccoon he is today.

Other standouts in the cast for me were Mantis and Nebula. The former grew on me a lot and I found myself falling for how utterly adorable she is, while the latter has come so far since the first movie and that was such a treat to see. Also, while he usually gets on my nerves, I have to say that Chris Pratt didn’t bother me as much.

To be completely honest, I wasn’t really looking forward to this. The first movie was such a pleasant surprise, but then I barely remember what happened in the second. This one blew them both out of the water. As it progressed, I became more invested and by the end I was sold. This clan of misfits will be missed. Definitely one of the better Marvels we’ve had in awhile.

Rating: ♥️♥️♥️♥️♥️

Gunpowder Milkshake

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Sam (Karen Gillan)is a dangerous assassin who has made quite a name for herself since starting out. When a mission goes wrong and she is forced to protect eight year old Emily (Chloe Coleman), Sam turns to her mother Scarlet (Lena Headey) for help. Together with Scarlet’s associates Madeleine (Carla Gugino), Florence (Michelle Yeoh) and Anna May (Angela Bassett), they must take down The Firm for good.

I had been really looking forward to Gunpowder Milkshake. A badass cast of women kicking butt and taking names? Yes please! It sounded right up my alley. Unfortunately, I did find the plot to be a bit on the weak side. Some things didn’t make sense and I would often lose track of what was happening.

That being said, there were still plenty of great aspects. I already mentioned the cast, but they really were fabulous. I could have watched them interact for hours because their chemistry was so impressive. In fact, I would totally be on board for a sequel if they ever decided to make one. That is how much I loved them all.

I thought the effects were amazing and the style in which the film was shot was very cool and different. The music was on point and the fight sequences rocked.

Overall, Gunpowder Milkshake is a fun film that radiates girl power and there is certainly nothing wrong with that! I just wish it had packed a bit more of a punch for me.

Rating: ♥♥♥